Currently, most U.S. workers lack access to paid sick and family and medical leaves to care for themselves and their families. Only 12% of private sector workers have access to paid family leave and nearly 40% of the workforce does not have a single paid sick day. This spring, MAC tackled these issues by providing research on these policies to State Senator Karen Carter Peterson, who submitted two bills during the spring 2015 legislative session to provide paid sick and family leaves to Louisiana working families. Research shows that these policies promote the health and wellbeing of employees and their families, create family-friendly workplaces, lower health care costs, contribute to employee retention, morale and productivity, and has a positive impact on the Louisiana economy.
The proposed legislation at a glance:

PAIDSICKLEAVE

LOUISIANAFAMILYANDMEDICALLEAVEBENEFITSACT

SIZE OF EMPLOYER

5 OR MOREFULL-TIMEEMPLOYEES

20 OR MOREFULL-TIMEEMPLOYEES

REASONFORLEAVE

FOREMPLOYEE TO CAREFORTHEMSELVES OR SICKFAMILYMEMBER;ATTENDANCE AT CHILD’S SCHOOLFORHEALTHISSUE; PUBLICHEALTHEMERGENCY; INJURIESSUSTAINEDFORMDOMESTICABUSE OR SEXUALASSAULT

BIRTH, ADOPTION OR PLACEMENTTHROUGHFOSTERCAREFOR A NEWCHILD; CAREFOREMPLOYEE’S OWNSERIOUSHEALTHCONDITION; CARE OF A FAMILYMEMBERWITH A SERIOUSHEALTHCONSITION; CAREFOR A QUALIFYINGSERVICEMEMBER

BENEFIT

1 HOUR OF SICKLEAVEFOREVERY 40 HOURSWORKED, UP TO 52/HRS PERYEAR

12 WEEKS OF PAIDLEAVEWITHSALARYREPLACEMENT OF 66%

FUNDING

EMPLOYER

SHAREDEMPLOYEE-EMPLOYERPAYROLLCONTRIBUTIONS

PROPOSEDIMPLEMETATION

JANUARY 1, 2016

JANUARY 1, 2017

While the Senate Labor Committee voted down the bills at hearing, we continue to outreach and educate the community on the need for these policies to improve working conditions and well-being for all employees and their families.